We would like to give you a clearer account of the outcome of our visits to areas in downtown Athens (Athinas street, Korai square, Stadiou street, Syntagma square, Ermou street, Solonos street etc.) On Thursday, January 3rd, accompanied by the Mobile Unit, we visited areas in downtown Athens and the surrounding area of Larissa Station. In downtown Athens areas we attended to 30 homeless individuals and we handed out sleeping bags, blankets and portions of food. We examined 4 individuals to whom medical treatment was also provided. In addition, informative material and advice on issues faced by the homeless was offered. Next, we visited Larissa Station area, where currently 14 homeless individuals live. They were offered medical care, sleeping bags, blankets and individual food portions. A patient who suffers a serious orthopedic condition was informed about the services provided in our Polyclinic. The patient turned to our Polyclinic the next day and is now undergoing treatment at KAT Hospital. We have also had a request by a Romanian man with serious medical issues, who asked to be repatriated back to Romania where his family lives. As he stated, he could not afford the cost of the return tickets to his home country. The following day, upon communication with the Embassy of Romania, we were informed that the Embassy was willing to cover the patient’s repatriation expenses. We would like to point up the fact that all 44 homeless individuals we met, were thoroughly informed about the Friendship Clubs. Maps with the exact locations of the clubs, as well as referral notes were handed out. Another patient from Burkina Faso, who suffers from drepanocytic anemia was escorted to the Friendship Club of Larissa Station.
At the beginning of our shift of Tuesday, January 8th and on Epikourou street, we came across a young man from Iran who suffered frostbites on his feet. His shoes and socks were wet and he suffered terrible pain in his lower extremities. The patient received medical treatment and care and he was given socks, shoes and warm clothing. We escorted the patient to the Friendship Club of Larissa Station. Thereafter, we visited the Port of Piraeus where we attended to 80 individuals in total. We handed out food, articles of clothing and footwear, blankets and fliers containing information about the Friendship Clubs (maps, referral notes). On the same day and upon a phonecall placed by a resident of Moschato, we visited a married elderly couple, who lives in a car on Kifisos avenue, across the church of Saint Konstantinos, in Moschato. We talked with them and they were notified of the fact that they could find temporary shelter at the Friendship Clubs. We also provided them with the relevant information fliers, as well as food in individual portions and tea.
On Thursday, January 10th we visited Pedion Areos park where we attended to 25 persons. As we were informed, the majority of the homeless had temporarily left the area due to an attack against an 18 year old Afghan man. The young immigrant was stabbed at the junction of Moustoxidi and Valtinon streets. Due to the attack, there was considerable police presence in the area throughout our entire visit. That was an additional contributing factor that led homeless people, who don’t have legal documents, to temporarily leave the area. At the main entrance of the park, we came across 3 homeless persons from Nigeria and Ghana, who were in a rather bad condition. They were barefoot and their ragged clothes left their bodies exposed. We informed them about the Friendship Clubs, we noted down their needs in essentials and we handed out sleeping bags, blankets, food and tea. Then we visited, once more, Larissa Station, where we met 10 homeless people, since some of them have returned to their home countries, while some others have headed for other European countries. We informed them about the services provided at the Friendship Club of Larissa Station in addition to handing out blankets and individual portions of food.